"Give me a crack" - Josh Drinkwater

underdog

Well-known member
http://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2016/04/24/give_me_a_crack.html

_Josh Drinkwater did not hold back when boldly declaring his ambition to play in the NRL.\
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Currently biding his time in the Wests Tigers Intrust Super Premiership NSW side, the crafty halfback walked off Ringrose Park yesterday with his head held high after yet another dominant performance, and made his intentions very clear.\
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"I want to play NRL, I’m ready to play NRL week in, week out.” Drinkwater said to NSWRL.com.au after his sides 40-18 victory over Wentworthville.\
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“If there’s a club out there looking for a halfback, I’m ready to go.”\
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There is little doubt that Drinkwater has the ability to play top-level Rugby League, backing up his stellar 2015 season with a strong start to the year.\
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Despite the Tigers only sitting in sixth position, Drinkwater has already formed successful combinations with new recruits Josh Addo-Carr and Michael Chee Kam, and they were on display at Ringrose Park yesterday.\
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Three perfect cross-field chip kicks led to three tries shared between Addo-Carr and Chee Kam, while he also had a hand in two more for the newly found pairing.\
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“Foxy [Josh Addo-Carr] is a weapon, he played NRL last week, so he’s full of confidence,” Drinkwater said.\
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“Chee Kam has come to left centre and he’s a great player, I’ve had Asipeli [Fine] on my side for two years now so we’re forming a good combination.”\
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“We are getting continuity with each other and the more we play with each other, the more our combinations are going to work and hopefully it builds.”\
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The win – orchestrated by Drinkwater – comes as a relief for the 23-year-old, whose side had strung back-to-back frustrating losses before their bye last week.\
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Drinkwater played a part in six of yesterday’s tries, however he was adamant there was significant room for improvement due to the fact the Tigers let the foot off the gas after leading 28-4 at halftime.\
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“We’ve come off a bye and a couple of losses, we spoke all week about getting a good performance in,” Drinkwater said.\
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“I thought we started really well, we completed most of our sets in that first half and that set it up for the game. We just got into a bit of habit [when] everything was working for us and that was never going to work for 80 minutes.\
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“We spoke at halftime that we had a lot of possession in the first half and a lot of things went our way, [and] that it’s going to even up. Unfortunately didn’t react to it, but we still came away 40-18 against Wenty who are coming second on the ladder, it’s a good result.”\
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With the Wests Tigers NRL team under-performing, it is refreshing to see a player from the club in such a key position in tremendous form, and the door for another first grade match is opening with every dominant performance Drinkwater puts forward._
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Honestly, maybe gosh WE SHOULD give the guy a crack, and at the very least light a fire under one of Brooks or Moses…
 
Good on you mate
Being timid and keeping your opinions to yourself wont take you too far
Im glad he is saying he is ready week in week out .

He is welcome to bring his Mate JLJ with him and play 6 & 7 for us while the kids play lower grade and sharpen their skills
 
I wouldn't have a problem at all if they were both promoted in place of Moses and Brooks. Despite it only being NSW Cup, they have obviously developed a combination and can't go worse than our two novices.
 
@Yossarian said:
Littlejohn maybe but Drinkwater has had a crack at NRL and not really gone that well.

That is right. By the way he stated "any club that wants to give me a go" sounds like he has been told he won't be getting a look-in at first grade for WT or he is off contract. Most players usually just bide their time in quietly in State Cup but I suppose it would get bloody frustrating watching Brooks play like crud every week and not getting a call up yourself.
 
@Yossarian said:
Littlejohn maybe but Drinkwater has had a crack at NRL and not really gone that well.

That is right. By the way he stated "any club that wants to give me a go" sounds like he has been told he won't be getting a look-in at first grade for WT or he is off contract. Most players usually just bide their time in quietly in State Cup but I suppose it would get bloody frustrating watching Brooks play like crud every week and not getting a call up yourself.
 
Drinkwater IS an organising halfback with a solid kicking game, two assets that Brooks does not possess but, of course we know that Luke is untouchable….
 
Thurston, Cronk, Milford, Foran would all make no difference to this tigers side with a horrible forward pack. Why would these reserve graders make any difference?

Brooks and Moses are talented but just in a horrible side.
 
Yes! Wait who is talking? Drinkwater?

Nope.

He's had chances and not done anything with them. Manly NYC, four games in two years at Dragons, one season at London, 1 game for Tigers.

I think everyone here would promote JLJ or switch Rankin as first choices on halves replacement.
 
Drinkwater is crap, even Lovett would look like Sonny Bill Williams in that League.

I tell you what though I reckon Addo-Carr has a Blake Ferguson type of Aura about him and I could be wrong but within 3 years could be dynamite….If given the chance.
 
With Wests Tigers there is glass ceiling between quality State Cup players and first grade. It definitely seems with Wests Tigers that once you get to first grade you stay there irrespective of how badly you play week in and week out. That applies to both forwards and backs. This week's first grade team selections will highlight that continuing very disappointing trend.
 
I've been reading on the forum that hardly any of Our Top 17 would crack it for a spot in any other NRL teams…

A people think our reserve graders are the answer...here's a big clue..if they were they would be playing for other NRL teams would they not... 😕 😕
 
@Geo. said:
I've been reading on the forum that hardly any of Our Top 17 would crack it for a spot in any other NRL teams…

A people think our reserve graders are the answer...here's a big clue..if they were they would be playing for other NRL teams would they not... 😕 😕

You can read it on our Forum if you wish Geo , but I find that watching our performances every week makes it far easier to believe

True ??
 
@foreveratiger said:
Drinkwater is crap, even Lovett would look like Sonny Bill Williams in that League.

I tell you what though I reckon Addo-Carr has a Blake Ferguson type of Aura about him and I could be wrong but within 3 years could be dynamite….If given the chance.

Drinkwater doesn't even go all that well in State Cup.
I'd have Litlejohn and maybe even Marshall-King ahead of him.
 
Will be interesting who is selected this week….the state cup side did have a good win but two games previous were shite.
If naquima is out would like the hyphenated pairing on left edge and Simona on the right with nofa. Meaning Rankin goes to 6 with either brooks/moses at 7\. Probably wouldn't hurt carrying Littlejohn on the bench also.
 

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